Lagoa dos Patos
Encyclopedia
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the biggest in Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is 174 miles (280 km) long, has a maximum width of 44 miles (70 km), and a total area of 3,803 sq. mi. (9,850 km). It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
by a sandbar about 5 miles (8 kilometers) wide. The navigable São Gonçalo Channel
São Gonçalo Channel
The São Gonçalo Channel is a navigable channel connecting two large coastal lagoons, Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. At its eastern end, it separates the municipalities of Rio Grande to the south from Pelotas to the north....
, which enters Lagoa dos Patos near the town of Pelotas
Pelotas
Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
, connects Lagoa dos Patos to Lagoa Mirim
Lagoa Mirim
Lagoa Mirim or Laguna Merín is a large estuarine lagoon which extends from southern Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil into eastern Uruguay. Lagoa Mirim is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandy, partially barren isthmus....
to the south. The Rio Grande, at the south end of Lagoa dos Patos, forms the outlet to the Atlantic.
The most accepted etymology is that the name "Patos" comes from an indigenous tribe that used to live in the area when the Europeans arrived.
This lagoon is evidently the remains of an ancient depression in the coastline shut in by sand beaches built up by the combined action of wind and current. It is at sea level, but its waters are affected by the tides and are brackish only a short distance above the Rio Grande outlet.
The lagoon's largest and most fertile island is the Ilha dos Marinheiros
Ilha dos Marinheiros
Ilha dos Marinheiros is an island located in the south part of a lagoon named Lagoa dos Patos, located in the municipality of Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is situated on the west bank of that lagoon...
, which is located near the eastern shore. The island is geopolitically part of the municipality of Rio Grande
Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande is the oldest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and also the former state capital from 1835 to 1845...
.
Towns and cities on coast
- Rio GrandeRio Grande, Rio Grande do SulRio Grande is the oldest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and also the former state capital from 1835 to 1845...
- PelotasPelotasPelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
- São José do NorteSão José do Norte-See also:*List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul...
- São Lourenço do SulSão Lourenço do SulSão Lourenço do Sul is a Brazilian town in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population estimated in 2004 was 44,935 inhabitants. It is located at the west bank of the big lagoon Lagoa dos Patos....
- TapesTapesTapes is a small city in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, near to Porto Alegre. It's good for sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing....